Emerald Kisses

Chapter 3

Yasmine stuck her key in the door and walked into her home. She dropped her keys on the wooden table by the door and headed toward the kitchen for something to drink. “Oh,” she noticed her husband was sitting on a stool in the kitchen staring oddly at her. Yasmine stared back; curious as to what was on his mind, “Oh!” she took a step back and clutched her chest. That man had the same wispy brown hair as her husband and a quiet brooding stare, but he was not him. “Who are you and why are you in my home?” she would admit he resembled her husband. She hadn’t been expecting anyone else in the home and hadn’t seen another man in their home in years. She was sure she knew all of Jason’s relatives.

“I was going to ask the same, but I assume you’re my brother’s girlfriend, seeing as you have a key,” he pointed over to the discarded keys on the table Yasmine had put there just seconds before.

A gasp escaped Yasmine’s lips and her eyebrows furrowed. Jason never told her he had a brother. He looked more defined than Jason and kept a cleaner cut, but his gate was more relaxed. Yasmine noted he seemed very nonchalant about the current situation. Whereas her heart was pounding out of her chest just looking at him. She also noted that this man did not know who she was; he called her a girlfriend, “I’m his wife,” she said indignantly as a frown deepened on her face.

Abruptly, Jason’s brother stood up from his seat. Yasmine took another step back; he was taller than Jason. Jason was tall himself at and even six feet tall. His brother looked at least four inches taller, “What do you mean, wife? I’m sure my own brother would have told me he got married.”

“Well,” Yasmine took a deep breath, “He didn’t tell me about a brother either,” she looked around the room and listened for footsteps upstairs, “Where is Jason?”

“He went to the store, he’ll be back to settle this,” he crossed his arms over his chest and gave Yasmine a pointed look as if he didn’t believe her.

“Settle what?” she raised her hands in disbelief, then let them drop to an audible slap on her thighs, “I’m Jason’s wife, my name is Yasmine, and you?” without rolling her eyes she stuck out her hand for Jason’s brother to take and waited patiently for him to get the hint.

“I’m Lance,” he walked over from his position at the counter and took Yasmine’s hand in his, “Jason’s brother,” he let go of Yasmine’s hand and sighed, “I guess it’s not you who needs to explain things, it’s my brother. I’d hate to meet you this way, but here we are.”

“I don’t blame you,” Yasmine had to look up at Lance just as she did with Jason. He too had green eyes, but his were darker and reminded her of a cool ocean. His demeanor calmed her as if he had everything figured out and there was nothing to worry about. It was a happy contrast compared to Jason’s hotheaded temper. “Jason can be silly in his ways.”

“I know what you mean, that younger brother's attitude has always got the best of him,” Lance smirked as if he was reminiscing with himself, “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me he was married,” he seemed to be mumbling to himself.

“Oh good,” Lance and Yasmine both turned their heads to the noise behind them. It was Jason; he had a twenty-four pack in one arm and a bag of stuff in the other. He had used his foot to open the door the rest of the way, then threw the bag on the couch to the left of them, “I don’t have to introduce you. Lance, Yasmine, Yasmine, Lance, you know each other.”

“No we don’t,” Lance said with an irritated expression on his face. He walked over to his brother and grabbed him by the shoulder, “Does Dad know you’re married?”

“Of course, he was there at the wedding, everyone was. It wasn’t like we wanted to exclude you, we just all live here,” Jason shrugged, “Besides, you’re here for good, not gonna miss a thing now.”

Yasmine shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t believe Jason was like this, even with his brother, but she couldn't put it all on him. Yasmine had met his family, and they didn’t mention a brother. Where has he been? She had so many questions for them but wasn’t comfortable asking at the moment.

“Sure,” Lance shook his head disapprovingly and then turned to Yasmine. He softened his face before speaking to her, “I hope you don’t mind, but Jason offered the spare room to me. It’s just for the week before things settle. I would have made sure the both of you were onboard if I had known,” he gave a pointed look at Jason, “but it’s too late now.”

“It’s fine, I’m just confused about what’s going on. I’m sorry, but no one has told me about you at all-

“Well, lay it on thick on how much his family doesn’t love him, Yasmine, do you not have tact?” Jason scoffed after interrupting Yasmine. He had a smirk on his face; always trying to do something to attract attention.

“I didn’t mean for it to sound like that, I just wanted to know what’s going on,” she looked up at Lance, whose dark emerald eyes regarded her with kindness. There was a gold tint around his iris that she didn’t notice earlier, she could melt in the contrast. For the same reason, she had fallen into a trance with Jason. His eyes told her stories no one else could tell. Secrets he was too scared to mention; it was all in the eyes.

“I understand, and I will tell you since my brother was too dumb to tell you. After all, you are his wife,” he raised his voice at the last bit to make sure Jason heard. Lance had never liked it when Jason wouldn’t take certain things seriously. He assumed Jason had been too lazy to tell Yasmine about him coming, and his family had their own reasons as to why they didn’t talk about him. It was something he would bring up later. He just didn’t think they would take it as far as not to mention him once, but it didn’t matter, he was there now and safe with his family.

“I’m not dumb, and as you said, she is my wife and what I tell her is none of your business,” Jason crossed his arms emphatically, before letting out a tsk as if what Lance was suggesting was preposterous. It was as if he wanted to say how dare Lance treat her as an equal without his permission. A challenge for him to protest.

Yasmine didn’t want to get in between some sibling spat. If simply filling her in was going to irritate Jason this much, then she didn’t want to know. Jason had settled into being a primarily docile drunk, and she didn’t want to rock the boat, “It’s fine Lance, it was nice to meet you,” she took her leave up the stairs quickly. Yasmine figured she would ask Lance when Jason wasn’t being himself. She passed the guest bedroom and noticed the luggage placed neatly by the bed. Lance had put some of his clothes on the bed and she could smell his cologne emanating from the room. It smelled of amber and musk, she almost walked into the room to get a better whiff, but she caught herself just outside the door frame.

“That would have been embarrassing,” Yasmine thought to herself. She didn’t want to look as if she was snooping around.